Halcyoninae

/ˌhælsiˈɑːnɪni/ noun

Definition

A subfamily of kingfishers within the family Halcyonidae, typically including the tree kingfishers and similar species.

Etymology

Scientific Latin: 'Halcyon' (kingfisher genus) plus the subfamily suffix '-inae,' following strict binomial nomenclature rules in ornithology.

Kelly Says

Taxonomists love their Latin suffixes—each little change ('-idae' for family, '-inae' for subfamily) tells you exactly how related organisms are to each other, like a family tree in Latin.

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